Do my chickens have PMS or something?.....

[holliewould]

The girls are 4 months old now. My gawwwwd. They're doing this screaming and baaaaaaaing. No bawwwwcking what so ever. They are also smacking each other in the chest like idiots every time I come outside. Such dorks. I'm almost worried about the bigger one being a roo? She has upright tail feathers as she's always had (I heard this is a characteristic of a roo). Also, her face is super red and she's got these hanging sacks on the side of her beak???? The other one has hangier thingies on the sides of her beak though, but her tail feathers slope below her vent hole. Both of them still have very pale combs. Almost an off white color. What is this? They are supposedly RIR's from what I understood of the immigrant. They are roosting now. Should I grab pics while they are roosting? Uggggh. They are going through the big girl stage right? RIGHT? Right?

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I cannot recall mine ever going through this stage, well, at least not my hens. Maybe a rowdy bunch of roosters.. I would suggest getting pics and posting them in the gender section for evaluations.

**The red bags on either side of her beak are wattles. Wattles at that age are characteristic of a rooster.

-Kim

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Try to get good pictures of their face, neck, and tail. We'll try to help you out.

-Kim

 

[MissPrissy]

Sounds like more than 1 roo with chest bumping at 4 months old.

 

[holliewould]

I hope you are all kidding me. I'm off to get pics right now while they are on their roost. Hold on just a few minutes. Oh man oh man. I'm a nervous wreck right now. I can only have five hens and only as pets where I'm at. BRB!

 

[holliewould]

This is the so called ladies in their roosting spot. I couldn't get a pic of their faces. See the one with the higher tail? During the daytime her tail is all erect and such. Like the Twin Towers erected. However her comb is a pale, very pale color. So is the other. The other one has almost a floppy comb and her tail is always facing towards the ground. They bump chests and act like idiots everytime I show my presence. It only lasts a few seconds but still....I'm just wondering....what is up with this behavior. Errrrr maybe one is a pseudo male?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Where did you get them from?

Do you see any pointy feathers just in front of the tail and on their necks?(Sometimes, the pointy feathers will be darker and shinier).

-Kim

 

[holliewould]

Quote:
Not really pointy or dangly. She seems glossier though. Her neck feathers are a bit longer then the other gal. She started burr burring before the other did. She just seems to be...well she seems a bit more like what everyone describes on here like a roo. By that I mean erect tail feathers. And I mean extremely erect compared to the other one. In the pic, she was roosting. So I don't know. Her comb is sooooo pale. Almost a light pink. Her waddles are barely the size of a pea. Also, she is very vocal. All screamy like. Baaaaaaaack back back, brrrrrrrrr. Make sense? She's only 4 months old though. Should she be trying to crow being only part of a 2 bird flock? What's the deal with only a 2 bird flock raised as day old chicks? One male one female? Curious if this babe can't even think of acting like a man.

 

[holliewould]

Quote:
Oh, I forgot to say, I got them from a Mexican in Homestead Florida. I was lucky to get the fact that they are RIR. My Mexican cook referred me to the guy who owns a market soooo. I got me some chickens!

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Try and get a pic of them in the day time. That will help alot. I don't think they look like roos just from that pic, but I could be wrong. If the tail feathes are pointed and they bend in a sickle-like shape then its a roo.